ADHD Symptoms For Women

Women who suffer from ADHD report emotional volatility and sensitivity towards rejection. They may also suffer from insomnia and poor quality of sleep, which can exacerbate symptoms.

Women and girls often mask their ADHD symptoms better than males by employing coping strategies to meet social expectations and norms. This can lead to misdiagnosis or delay in treatment.

1. Trouble focusing

Concentration is the biggest issue for many women with ADHD. This neurodevelopmental disorder can make it difficult to concentrate at school, during meetings at work or while reading or listening to other people talk. It can also be difficult to get through everyday tasks, such as keeping track of appointments or making sure to take medications.

Difficulty focusing is one of the most common adhd symptoms for girls and women, regardless of their gender identity or whether they have hyperactive/impulsive or inattentive ADHD. Women who suffer from the inattentive version of the disorder might be struggling to organize their homes or at their work desk and have difficulty focusing on tasks according to CHADD. These problems can cause them to miss appointments, show up at the wrong place at the right time or not follow through on their work duties. They can cause them to feel bad about themselves and blame themselves for their troubles believing they're lazy or forgetful.

Attention-deficit ADHD can also result in poor performance at work or in school and can lead to the accumulation of debt. They can be triggered by stress or other mental health conditions like anxiety and depression that often co-occur with ADHD in women, according to CHADD.

Women and girls with inattentional adhd in adult women treatment are underdiagnosed or overlooked because of the biases parents and teachers may be prone to towards males and females. They may not be able to express their ADHD symptoms as well, especially the hyperactive/impulsive ones, and may have difficulty finding treatment that works for them.

Hormonal changes can also exacerbate symptoms in adult women with ADHD. They may be more apparent during perimenopausal or menstrual cycle which is the period leading up to a woman's menopause which is when estrogen levels decrease and can cause emotional issues like mood swings or irritation.

Stimulant medication can enhance concentration in adults suffering from ADHD, but it won't solve the problem. Other strategies, including lifestyle changes, mindfulness training, and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), can also aid in focusing and organization. Certain schools and workplaces have facilities that can assist with these issues, too.

2. Forgetting Things

Inattention can make it difficult to stay on top of daily tasks or manage responsibilities. It can be difficult to remember important information about people or events particularly when they occur in a noisy or crowded environment. You might also notice that you are oftenptoms. You can also make lifestyle changes, for example, eating a well-balanced diet and avoiding sugar, caffeine, and other stimulants that could cause symptoms to get worse. It is also possible to practice mindfulness and meditation techniques to relax your mind, decrease impulsiveness and restlessness, and improve emotional regulation. Talking with a mental health professional can be beneficial, since they can talk about possible accommodations at work or school that can help you manage your ADHD symptoms better.

3. Disruptive Behavior

Women who suffer from ADHD tend to be more sluggish than hyperactive or impulsive symptoms. This could be due to the fact that the brains of girls and women differ from those of males and females or it could have to do with how much activity is taking place in the areas of the brain responsible for managing disruptive and impulsive behavior.

As a result, it can be harder for a doctor to recognize and diagnose ADHD in women. Many women develop coping strategies to mask their symptoms. Some are healthy, but others aren't sustainable and can lead to other health issues. For example women may turn to drinking or using drugs to cope with their symptoms. They might also develop depression or other mental health issues such as anxiety. These unhealthy coping mechanisms can make it more difficult for someone to notice that they have a problem and can delay an accurate diagnosis.

Disruptive behaviors are a common undiagnosed adhd in women symptom in women that can impact school or work performance and relationships. They typically involve not being focused on a particular task, not remembering important events or tasks and becoming easily distracted by other things in the environment or in their thoughts. They might fidget or tap their feet or hands or squirm in their seats. They can also yell or talk loudly, and they may interrupt.

Women with the inattentive subtype may have trouble in concentrating during lectures or discussions, keeping up with schoolwork writing, reading, or reading assignments, following directions in classes or at work, and managing daily tasks. They might be unorganized and forgetful. They may also be messy. It can be difficult for them to stick with tasks or commitments. They are more prone to misplacing or losing items like keys, wallets, and eyeglasses.

Having the predominantly hyperactive/impulsive type of adhd can disrupt work or school, cause social problems, and create relationship challenges. This subtype can lead to trouble at home, at work, as well as at schools, and can trigger feelings of anxiety or boredom. They have a hard waiting for their turn at school, at home or in the workplace and often interrupt others. They are prone to act recklessly and are not able to control their behavior.

4. Anxiety

Women and girls with ADHD are more likely to have a difficult to manage their symptoms than boys and men. This is due in part to societal expectations that demand women and mothers to be the primary caregivers for their children and household. When a woman with ADHD is unable to keep up with her responsibilities, she could experience heightened feelings of anxiety which can lead to low self-esteem. This can make it harder to seek treatment for her ADHD.

Women with ADHD are often not diagnosed as easily as men or boys because their symptoms do not seem to be as apparent. They may present with primarily inattentive symptoms, which do not have the same outward appearance as hyperactive/impulsive ADHD symptoms, making them less likely to receive a referral for treatment from teachers and parents. Additionally they are more likely to develop strategies for coping that mask their ADHD symptoms, such as excessive fidgeting and forgetfulness which could be misinterpreted as symptoms of anxiety disorders.

The symptoms of ADHD can also change throughout a woman's lifetime. For example, during periods of hormonal changes, like menstrual cycles or pregnancy, a woman could find her ADHD symptoms to be exacerbated. This can result in being viewed as a terribly emotional woman and can cause a feelings of frustration.

This article is based upon research on how ADHD affects different individuals based on their gender. Verywell Health recognizes that sex is a biological phenomenon: chromosomal makeup hormones, hormones, and anatomical structure. gender is a subjective sense of who you are as a male, a woman, or if non-binary, you're an individual. This distinction is important because it enables a better understanding of the ways and the ways that adhd in adult women uk manifests can vary between genders. For this reason, throughout this article, we refer to both men and those assigned male at birth (AMAB) as men and boys and women and those assigned female at birth (AFAB) as women and girls. This terminology is used in many research studies. For more information, read the guide to sex & gender by Verywell Health.